R E TA I L T R E N D S
When it comes to meat, consumers
care about what's not in products - GMOs,
preservatives, artificial flavors, Roerink said.
"They're not looking to avoid meat; they're
just looking to buy meat differently," she
said. "They're focused on leaner cuts and
moderation."
...AND TRANSPARENCY, TOO
meat, according to the Power of Meat study.
Meanwhile, 42 percent say they buy a limited
number of cuts and kinds but would branch
out if advised.
But the challenge is people who lack
knowledge don't visit retail meat cases as often
because they don't cook as often. Roerink said
"...we need to figure out how to educate beyond
the store" and feed demand for knowledge
about different cuts and kinds of meat and
encourage shoppers to try something different.
"There's so much to be gained by driving
this knowledge...that's why I didn't call it
education," Roerink said. "I called it 'upskill'
because people need to find the skills to really
love meat again the way older generations
do and have an emotional rather than just a
functional connection with meat.
"The beauty of it is the number of people
that lack knowledge or want to be advised is so
high, that this pays off regardless of what your
brand is or who you cater to or what your store
is or who shops there," Roerink said.
"Consumers care more about the world around
them and how their purchases impact that,"
Roerink explained. "In fact, 67 percent of
Americans will be prioritizing healthy and
more socially conscious purchases in 2018."
Consumers want to know where their
food comes from and how it's made. They
also want to ensure foods are produced
through fair trade practices. Part of retailers'
brand stories, especially when speaking to
millennials, should include steps taken to
provide this information.
Transparency is driving dollars in the
meat department, Roerink said. Natural is the
leading product claim shoppers
have noticed, followed by organic
and grass-fed.
"Millennials are much more
likely to act on claims but were
much less likely to have seen
them," she noted. "They're not in
our stores as often, so we need
to figure out a way to educate
on claims beyond the stores and
get that recognition up because
awareness often leads to a greater
likelihood to want to purchase."
To reach young millennials,
retailers need to create links
between the product, price or
attribute. "If you have grass-fed on
sale, why not link it to what [grass
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farm where the meat came from -
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these are great ways to elevate the
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discussion beyond price point,"
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Roerink said.
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DON'T EDUCATE, UPSKILL
Forty-seven percent of shoppers
say they're knowledgeable about
meat, leaving more than half of
consumers saying they are not
knowledgeable when it comes to
"Be sure
that people
understand
your brand
as a product
and your
department,
what your
strengths are."
- ANNE-MARIE ROERINK
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